TOPIC: JESUS REJECTS TEMPTATIONS
1C LENT SUNDAY HOMILY, LUKE 4:1-13
MARCH 6, 2022
1. STORY
There
was a king who was seriously ill. He commanded all the beautiful glasses he had
collected from all parts of the world to be brought to him. He then ordered
that all of them be broken into pieces. When asked why he did this, he replied
that he would often drink to excess which injured his health. He made a vow to
never drink wine again. To avoid being tempted to drink again by the sight of
the beautiful glasses, he had all of them broken.
2. GOSPEL: LUKE 4:1-13
A.
JESUS WAS TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL.
The
devil tempted Jesus three times.
i)
He tempted Jesus to seek material goods. “Command this stone to be turned into
bread.”
ii)
He tempted Jesus to seek power. “I shall give you all this power and
glory.”
iii)
The devil tempted Jesus to seek fame. “Throw yourself down from here.”
B.
JESUS REJECTED THE TEMPTATIONS.
On
all three occasions, Jesus rejected these temptations. He said, “You shall
worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.”
3. APPLICATION TO LIFE
A.
THE DEVIL TEMPTS US.
As
the devil tempted Jesus, so does he tempt us.
i)
Seek material goods. We are tempted to buy too much food, tempted to buy too
expensive clothes, and tempted to buy too many gadgets such as computers,
mobile phones, and iPads.
ii)
Seek power. We are tempted to have it our way by not listening to suggestions
by others and wanting to be the boss.
iii)
Seek fame. We want people to praise us and reject any helpful suggestions that
may help us to be better disciples of Jesus.
B.
FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS. REJECT TEMPTATIONS.
i)
Live a simple life by buying and possessing what is essential and avoiding
having too many material things.
ii)
Live a life of service as Jesus did. He came to serve and not be served.
iii)
Live a humble life as he did. He lived a humble life with his parents for 30
years.
4. CONCLUSION
During
Lent, which is the time the Church arranges for us to prepare our hearts for Easter,
let us follow the example of Jesus who rejected the devil’s temptations. Here
are three suggestions to help us make a good Lent.
i)
Take home a small Lenten box and donate some money to help the poor.
ii)
Try to make the Stations of the Cross by attending the weekly Stations of the
Cross or make them on your own.
iii) Make a good confession during these forty days of Lent. We thank Jesus for his example of rejecting the devil’s temptations and ask him to help us reject these temptations and give us the strength to make a good Lent.
